54 



INJURIOUS INSECTS AND FUNGI. 



[Sept. 1894. 



the weather Avas so favourable for vegetation that the corn 

 phmts grew away from the attacks of the enemy. 



In hop land wire worms did much mischief in very many 

 districts. The bine checked suddenly and made short turns. It 

 was thought this was due to the action of the Red Spider in the 

 previous summer, which might have weakened the stocks, but 

 close examination showed that wireworms were at work in the 

 crowns of the hills. In some " Old Golding " plantations much 

 weakness was caused, and in a few cases the bine has remained 

 weak. Forcing weather in May and June, however, worked 

 wonders, and prompt measures taken by the planters in the 

 shape of traps of mangel wurzel, carrot, turnip, potatoes, and 

 rape-cake put round the infested hills much mitigated the evil. 



It has always been most difficult to suggest methods of 

 prevention and remedies for the attacks of wireworms. Their" 

 horny coats resist insecticides and insectifuges, and their long 

 lives and their power of burrowing deeply into the soil, make 

 dealing with them effectively almost a hopeless task. 



Valuable experiments against wireworm have been conducted 

 in the last four years by Messrs. Comstock and Slingerland, of 

 the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station at 

 Ithaca, New Yoi"k State, and the results show that it is almost 

 impossible to extirpate them. 



These experiments were of three kinds : — 



1st. Protection of seed. — The most serious injuries are caused 

 by wireworms to the seed, and to the plants just after 

 germination. Seeds were " protected " by coatings of Paris 

 green, tar, &c., by soaking in solutions of salt, chloride of lime, 

 copperas, kerosene oil, turpentine, and strychnine. In no case 

 were these coatings and soakings found to be of the least use in 

 preventing the attack, or killing the wireworms. 



2nd. Destruction of ^vireivorms hy starvation. — It has been 

 often insisted that wireworms may be starved out by long 

 fallowing land, or by cultivating only certain crops which are 

 distasteful to the worms on infested land. After careful experi- 

 ments in the direction of fallowing land, Messrs. Comstock and 

 Slingerland " would not advise the farmer to lose the use of his 

 " land for a season, and the labour necessary to keep it free from 

 " all vegetation, in the hope that he may thus starve out the 

 " wireworms." 



As regards the sowing of crops distasteful to wireworms, 

 and thus starving them out, buckwheat, mustard, rape— said 

 to be their special aversion — were tried without any satis- 

 factory results whatever. 



3rd. Destruction of wireworms by insecticides. — Kerosene oil 

 solution, made of one part of oil to 20 parts of water, was 

 sprayed on soil in a cage containing 25 wireworms. The 

 solution was made to penetrate the soil by frequent sprayings. 



Although the final results showed that this was effective to 

 some extent when made to thoroughlj- permeat the so;l, the 



